Favourite music of 2024

Guitars

Hovvdy - Hovvdy

Macseal - Permanent Repeat

Gulfer - Third Wind + Lights Out

Johnny Foreigner - How To Be Hopeful

Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee

Ten years ago a band that covered and sound not-a-little like Coldplay would have been absolute anathema to me, but things change when you're in your mid-thirties and married with children. The Hovvdy record is made for tired dads scoring wins where they can and I've come to embrace that. On the other picks: power pop is not a guaranteed winner with me but Macseal crack the formula – great summer BBQ record. Gulfer are (now, sniff, were) a great band. JoFo 4eva of course. Cindy Lee is ambient to me and that's actually a great way to appreciate this very hyped release.

Bops

Charli XCX & Lorde - 'Girl, so confusing'

Charli XCX & Ariana Grande - 'Sympathy is a knife'

Charli XCX - Brat

This Is Lorelei - 'Dancing in the Club'

Charly Bliss - 'Waiting For You'

Only a monster wouldn't well up at the Lorde verse in 'Girl, So Confusing'. I'm a Charli day one and don't truck with this attitude that the music loses something when the uncoolest people in the world are making Brat memes. That may perhaps be because I am also one of those uncool people (married with children etc). Speaking of, maybe Charli should have that kid and take a break. Kids are great.

Beats

Priori feat. James K - 'Wake'

Maya Q - 'Starbust'

Sully & Salo - 'Nights (Not Just A Dub Mix)'

Artur M Puga - 'NubeKevlar'

Earl Grey - 'Amygdala'

Toma Kami - missed heaven

Skee Mask - Resort

aheloy! - Deep in the Big Blue Dream

Innersound - Yellow Boa

Djrum - Meaning's Edge

Jeigo - Fig

Xylitol - Anemones

Drum and bass is the greatest music ever invented. Shawn Reynaldo gets it – shout to his First Floor newsletter where I got wind of a lot of these picks.

Moods

Priori - This But More

Rosie Carr - yew

Lyndsie Alguire - time is but the drawing of a sword

C. Diab - Imerro

Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements - Rain On The Road

Not Waving & Romance - Infinite Light (and to a lesser extent Wings of Desire)

Isabel Pine - Where the Flowers Grow

Hearts And Minds - Hearts And Minds

Nexcyia - Endless Path Of Memory

mu tate - wanting less

Various - 29 Speedway: UltraBody

Xoloft Infected Puberty Arc - Made By A Kid

Lifted - Trellis

James K - 'Hypersoft Lovejinx Junkdream'

Blue Lake - 'Green-Yellow Field (Sofie Birch & Carøe Remix)'

COLA REN - 'Baraka (Salamanda Remix)'

It seems I have joined the large contingent of people for whom music with things like rhythm or melody is just a bit too much. Can ambient ever be bad is a question I've been grappling with as I've been familiarising myself with the genre. Reading David Toop's monumental Oceans of Sound, which fondly depicts the kooky and silly nature of a lot of experimental music, helped me relax about the need to evaluate this stuff. Whatever works for you is fine. Large swathes of this music will be by its very nature forgettable, you just find the bits that keep you interested. Shout to Philip Sherburne's Futurism Restated newsletter where I got wind of a lot of these picks.

Rereleased / Remastered

Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd - The Moon and the Melodies

Dettinger - Intershop + Oasis

Various - Lost Paradise: Blissed Out Breakbeat Hardcore 1991-94

Various - Virtual Dreams II - Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999

Significant Harold Budd obsession developed this year. I will also never say no to a massive compilation of obscure 90s electronic music.

Not of 2024 but loved in 2024

ML Buch - Suntub

Ben Quad - I'm Scared That's All There Is

Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood

Brian Eno / Harold Budd - Ambient 2: The Plateaux Of Mirror

Laraaji / Brian Eno - Ambient 3: Day of Radiance

Fripp & Eno - Evening Star

Laurie Spiegel - The Expanding Universe

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You (Everasking Edition)

ML Buch is my most listened to artist of 2024. Got wind of Suntub through it placing on so many 2023 lists which just goes to show that lists are worth something. 2024 screamo Ben Quad not my speed, but 2022 melodic Ben Quad very much is. Shout to Endless Scroll's Michael Brooks for the Yasmin Williams recommend. Dipped into a bunch of Brian Eno his year – the collaborative albums stayed with me the most.